After I finished my “practice novel”
and had it rejected by tons of agents (I figure it at 7.5 tons: 100 agents at
an assumed average 150 lbs.) I despaired. Mostly the feedback was a simple
rejection, but on several occasions the feedback included a statement that they
couldn’t sell it people my protagonist didn’t fit what people were reading.

Fortunately, I had the opportunity
to take a master class from one of my favorite authors. Sara Paretsky taught
the class in conjunction with a Love is Murder conference. She gave us an
exercise to write using as fodder several seemingly random words. (I remember
peanut butter being one.)

We shared our pieces aloud, and mine felt pathetic
compared to most of the other offerings.

But after the class was over, Sara
came over to me and told me that I had an interesting voice and I shouldn’t let
people try to change it. At the time I had no clue exactly what that meant, but
I knew enough to realize she was talking about my writing, not my dulcet
baritone.

When I eventually understood what
she meant by voice, Sara’s little pat on the back became only one of two gifts
from her. Her second was her own example. When she wrote her first VI
Warshawski novel (published 1982) people weren’t reading books about female
PIs. A few such novels existed, and when it came to women, people seemingly
cared more about “Charlie’s Angels” than about a realistic woman.

Which did not stop Sara or Sue
Grafton. They wrote what they wanted and changed the rules for female crime
protagonists.

I wanted to write about Seamus
McCree—a good guy; a guy who cares deeply for his son, a guy who struggles with
relationships; a guy with a strong sense of right and wrong, but who is faced
with choices that are shaded in grays; a guy who abhors violence because he
senses he is carrying anger inside himself; a guy who has succeeded financially
in the world, but knows that isn’t really what matters.

I chose to write about
financial crimes because those are what interest me, and I can explain complex
finances in ordinary English that people can understand.

Sara by word and example gave me
permission to write the kind of book I wanted to read, regardless of whether an
agent ever wanted to represent it. After writing about Seamus for several years
I now think of him as a mash-up of Robert B. Parker’s Spenser, John Sandford’s
Lucas Davenport and Winnie the Pooh.

Midwest Review concluded its recommended
pick review of Cabin Fever, “With its
combination of social consciousness, political action, intrigue, and family
relationships, Cabin Fever will satisfy any mystery or thriller reader."

To that wonderful black and white
statement, I’ll add some gray. If a mystery reader wants a nice cozy they’ll
find I use some bad language and show some violence. And I don’t write a
superhero who singlehandedly saves the world. I do have faith though that there
are enough readers who will like my protagonist and want
to read my kind of writing.

If that’s the kind of book you’d
like to read wrapped in a fast-paced story, then give me a try. I hope you’ll
enjoy Seamus and his friends, because if enough of you do, I get to keep
writing about them.

Regardless, I am enjoying my
writing. So Reds, anything you were told is a waste of your time that you knew
deep down was bad advice?

HANK:Bad advice. Huh. Still thinking about that. But good advice? How about this: Leave a comment for us, and we will give a copy of the Jim-book of your choice to one lucky winner!

56 comments:

My day job (when I have one) is as an accountant. I'd love to win a copy of this book because it sounds like something I'd really enjoy. (And yes, I know I'm the cozy guy, but I do venture into darker waters some, and I think this would fit the bill.)

I have a great deal of admiration for anyone who can talk about math and actually have it make sense . . . .It’s a good thing that Sara convinced you to have faith and write what you wanted to write . . . I’m looking forward to reading the next Seamus McCree story . . . .

James, you sound like one smart guy to me. If an author doesn't enjoy writing about something, how can he/she do a story justice? What happened to the old advice that you should write about what you know? Of course, I could argue with that one just a bit, in that the authors I read do great research and can easily stretch that knowledge boundary.

I love the main character's name, James. Seamus McCree fits so perfectly together. Cabin Fever sounds like quite the exciting book. Congrats on being true to yourself and it working out.

Mark -- It is good to know what you like to read. I call my books "medium boiled." They do have some violence but it's not gratuitous nor described in great detail, so I think cozy readers won't find it too much of a stretch. Oh, and I guess congratulations for commenting first -- you guys have a race each day?

Reine & Pen: All advice should come with a well-filled salt shaker. Good advice early in one's learning should be reconsidered later, which may be why there are so many "rule" conflicts.

Neil Gaiman had a blog going around the internet recently about writer rules that writers should ignore. After reading them, I think he missed an adjective and it should have been "experienced" writers should ignore.

It's so hard at the beginning because no one I know started out as a great writer. There's a lot to be learned and it takes a thickish skin to hang in there and figure out what feedback helps. I think I remember all my lousy feedback--one teacher told me I had the worst case of "adverbitis" she'd ever seen. LOL

James you were so fortunate: "Sara came over to me and told me that I had an interesting voice and I shouldn’t let people try to change it." I was lucky that I sold one of the first essays I wrote to NPR... small miracle that sustained me for the next 4 years of NOs.

BUT but but... I've got to say, if I hadn't listened to criticism and been willing to 'slash and burn' I'm absolutely sure I'd never have gotten published. The hard thing is knowing which advice will work for you, and which won't. And SAVE AS before every major revision so you can dial it back if you need to.

Hallie -- What a wonderful start to your writing career. The first thing I ever sold was a little memoir piece (but nothing so wonderful as to NPR). And thank goodness for criticism without it how can we improve?

My computer filing system is to have a separate document for each draft and in between I'll often keep versions labeled with the date.

And backup the whole dang computer religiously. ~ Jim

PS I've just discovered in running the Captcha if I ask for a new code I'm getting numbers, which I can always read better than those letters.

I loved Fish Tales, Jim! Will have to go back and reread your entry. So many good stories in that anthology.

And I will definitely have to find Cabin Fever. A guy with a Winnie the Pooh side sounds like my kind of crime solver. :-)

All my life people told me I couldn't do stuff, especially my mother, who is fearful about everything. If I let that bother me I'd never have left the house. My feeling is that it's a big world, and somebody, somewhere will want what I do or have or create.

I would dearly love to win a copy of this book - Jim sounds like a friend... I am very feminine, but my protagonist is a male, ex Navy commander and former CIA agent. I thought I did well in showing him as a real feeling person - til I just reread Tom Clancy's Without Remorse - and saw the incredible depths of feeling and emotion his top guy - in this book shows to the reader... I would give anything now to talk with Tom --- God Rest His Soul... and ask him where he got such an amazing ability to show a tough guy's gentle side... Thelma straw in Manhattan

Math scares the daylights out of me. But your work sound like something I will enjoy, and I look forward to reading about Seamus McCree. (Actually, I picked up Bad Policy after meeting you in Birmingham and it's right here in my TBR pile).

How cool to hear encouraging words from Sara Paretsky! wow! Now those are words to hold close, for sure.

Thelma -- Masters are masters for a reason, aren't they? It can sometimes be difficult for male protagonists to show feelings well because many males aren't exactly in touch with their feelings. (I know, I know, kind of stating the obvious with this group.) Seamus gets some of it, but sometimes others have to point out the obvious to him. ~ Jim

I think readers are inelligent. I don't appreciate people who try to show how smart they are by hiding information in a cloak of confusion, so I try to make my writing clear when I am talking about things that may not be in a readers comfort zone (like math).

2) My voice was "odd" — was my writing funny or serious? Was I trying to be camp? Why did my characters make so many jokes? Historical fiction isn't supposed to be funny! How can we possibly market this?

(Nerves from enduring the Blitz, I say — I'm always cracking jokes during horrible times. I'm a laugh-riot in the ER. It's how I deal with stress and fear.)

2) My voice was "odd" — was my writing funny or serious? Was I trying to be camp? Why did my characters make so many jokes? Historical fiction isn't supposed to be funny! How can we possibly market this?

(Nerves from enduring the Blitz, I say — I'm always cracking jokes during horrible times. I'm a laugh-riot in the ER. It's how I deal with stress and fear.)

Best advice from an assistant principal, "Choose your battles." She was referring to my attempts to reach an unreachable child . . . and pointing me toward the 179 other students in my six-classes-a-day schedule. Worst . . . just about everything ever said by the principal who inspired "The NCLB Murder." I mean, DIDN'T . . because "any resemblance to any person living or dead . . ." ;-)I will be checking this out . . . Bad Policy has me thinking about my Prudential days . . .

I have no bad advice to share, but I had to say I am intrigued by your character description. "I now think of him as a mash-up of Robert B. Parker’s Spenser, John Sandford’s Lucas Davenport and Winnie the Pooh" That alone makes me want to read the book!

I hate it when people say, "Oh women don't read…" or "Men don't read…" I read all sorts of stuff. Don't tell me what I do or do not read.

Humor under stress? Talk to any EMT, soldier, police officer, etc. I read a book about coroners and the black humor was mind boggling. But sometimes that's the only way you can deal with death day in and out.

People have criticized me for writing a male protagonist - as a woman. But I have plenty of men in my life to ask, "Would a guy actually say/do this?" so I don't feel hampered.

I love the advice to stick with it and don't let someone change you (while listening to criticism at the same time). Someone once told me, "There is a reader for every book, you just have to find him" and I believe that to be true.

Best of luck, Jim. I'll have to go back to Fish Tales to find your story. Like many other here, my math skills are sketchy - so anyone who can make it make sense is a genius to me. =)

Storytellingmary -- yep, choosing your battle is a great piece of advice that I have ignored to my regret more than once (well, that would be considered the understatement of this blog).

Tracy -- so nice to see you here. I frequently see Jan (my much better half for those who have not met her) using her Downward Dog Mysteries cup for her morning coffee. After you read one of Seamus's books, let me know if you agree with the mash-up description.

Hi Mary -- so wonderful that many of the REDS are familiar with Fish Tales (the SinC Guppies first anthology). It seems so long ago -- I hope the story is okay (he gulps with a bit of worry).

I am wholeheartedly with you about what men or women do and don't read. There are 100 million males (give or take) who can read in the U.S. If only 1% of them read my kind of book and did, I think I might be, oh say, ecstatic?

This isn't bad advice, but good advice I didn't heed. My English Composition teacher in college told me to keep writing and in 20 years I would be very good. I didn't! I took it up again, seriously, years later and wished I had those 20 years under my belt.

When I started my first novel, I received OODLES of advice, some helpful and some not. Over time, I've learned to listen to the advisors, let their ideas simmer, and then follow my gut. (I especially chafe at the phrase, "Nobody wants to read books about X" -- can anyone really say what "nobody" wants?!?)

I love that Sara Paretsky said not to lose your unique author voice. That is stellar advice!

Thinking about the prof in the ONLY creative writing course offered at my college when I was there. I wrote a horror story. Classmates liked it (as much as they liked anything-- people at my college were not known for their enthusiasm). Then I wrote another one for the second project.

The prof, an essayist who apparently didn't get genre fiction, told me that once you'd read one of my stories, you'd know what was coming in the other. (Luckily Steven King didn't have an instructor like him).

Fast forward 20 years, and (thanks to an agent who believed in me) I had a multi-book contract for a science fiction series. Guess what-- NOBODY complained about the fact that each book involved the same main characters stopping at different planets.

By the way, Mr. Essayist never taught us how to write and sell an essay. I picked that up without any help from him. He is one of the people-- along with the 1964 college dean of studies and the chairman of my high school English department who didn't think anyone could handle the amount of reading involved in taking two English classes at once (I graduated early)-- whose grave I'd like to dance on.

So often, the old saw is true: those who can't, teach-- and some of them have no idea what the are talking about, but when one is young and vulnerable, one doesn't know that.

(For the record, decades later, after I managed to shake off the criticism: nine traditionally published books, one of which was named best in the state for the year it was published, and over a thousand published essays, articles and stories. And writing is my secondary career. What dance is appropriate to do on a grave? Flamenco, perhaps?)

I'm not surprised you're good at math because you're good at bridge. The two go hand in hand--excuse the pun. Seamus sounds complicated, and that's the best protagonist for me. Looking forward to reading both your books, Jim.

Worst advice I got was my mother thought I should be a nurse. Horrors. I'm a firm believer in writing what you want. It's even better if no one else is writing what you're writing. See you in Bethesda.

What a great post! I suppose the advice I thought was wrong (or that I didn't take, anyway) was the "don't start a sequel until you sell the first book" line.

While I see the merit in it, I figured I wrote the first one for fun, and it looked like selling a book was pretty difficult. Since I loved the characters and was still having fun, I started another book. :)

Lucky for me, it worked out.

Looking forward to reading your work--if you can get numbers to make sense to me, you have some sort of secret magic.

Women don't read...blah, blah, blah. That's a bunch of hooey. I cut my teeth on John D. McDonald's Travis McGee books and I really loved Dell Shannons books about Luis Mendoza as well as her police procedurals under her other name Elizabeth Linnington. James, you sound like a mash-up of authors I love so now I'll give your books a whirl. About advice? While I am always grateful for advice from experienced authors I do also rely on my gut voice. It's never let me down!

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